‘The Orville’ Season 2: When Does the Show Return?

Tonight is the season finale of The Orville. This show has caught science fiction fans by surprised, and despite not-so-great reviews from professional critics, it’s getting rave reviews from TV viewers everywhere. In fact, some people like it better than Star Trek: Discovery because it has the look and feel of an old-time Star Trek the Next Generation episode. But now the season is already over, and it’s gone far too soon for fans. How long will we have to wait until Season 2? Unfortunately, this is going to be a long hiatus.

The Orville has been renewed for Season 2 by Fox. But unfortunately, because of the show’s short first season, we’ll have to wait nearly a year for the beloved science fiction series to return. Fox hasn’t announced an exact date for the show’s return, as of the time of publication, but because of the show’s popularity, it’s likely that Fox will want to keep it on a regular schedule, returning the series again in the fall. That means you might be waiting until September 2018 to see the show again. This year, it premiered on September 10 — a Sunday night — and was later moved Thursdays.

The show has solid ratings. Even a month ago, it was rating among the top three new dramas of the fall season. The show’s premiere was the most-watched and highest-rated Fox premiere since Empire debuted in 2015. The Orville has 14 million viewers over all its platforms.

Fans already have been sharing wish lists of what they’d like to see in Season 2. They’d like more background about the Planetary Union and the Union’s tech. Do transporters exist in The Orville like they do in Star Trek? They’d like to see more special guest stars and new alien species, maybe empaths a la Troy or beings reminiscent of Q. They’d love to know more about the characters’ back stories, like Alara and Isaac. They’re hoping to learn more about what Earth is like now. Some fans would like to see more diplomacy issues, such as communicating with aliens very different from our own, or issues about whether a creature is sentient and has certain rights.

Fans would also like to see more about Bortus and Klyden and their child. As far as guest stars, some fans would love to see Tim Allen or Patrick Stewart. Jeffrey Combs is also a favorite choice, since he appeared in so many Star Trek series. Some fans would even love to see Wil Wheaton, since he’s gotten so popular post-Wesley Crusher days.

Oh, and of course, fans would like to finally see Bortus sing. And they’d love to see Isaac get a cat.